Edwin Stonestreet to his daughter Nanette

My Mum has a collection of letters sent to her and her Mother from her Father during WWII. He was a dental assistant who travelled with a dentist in a mobile caravan across France and into Belgium and Holland. He was sent out after D-day to treat injured service men with facial injuries.

My Mum who is 93 remembers the excitement of everyone and celebrations that followed VE Day. She remembers her Mother and Aunt hanging a huge Union Jack between the windows on the front of their house.

The letter attached was from Edwin to Nanette, cleverly written in rhyme. He went into the nearest town in Holland. People were very pleased to see him as described in this wonderful letter

Daddy’s rhyming letter 14 May 1945

Transcript:

My Darling Nan,

As you request_ (although for me it is no jest) this note to you is all in rhyme (or will be if I have the time!!

The writing then you must excuse,
for I have quite a lot of news,
first let me say that I am well
And now my story I will tell.

Having a day with naught to do but celebrate
twas V.E.2 (it was V4)
I paid a visit to a town
A hundred miles farther down

For several years this town had been
ruled by the Hun and dreadful scene
of bombing, shooting and starvation
Till VE day came & bought salvation.

So to this town I made my way
The streets all decked with flags and Gay
When suddenly I saw some Huns
And what was worse they still had guns

No sight or sound of Allied troops
The Gerrys stared at me & Whoops!
Was I scared stiff - I don't retreat
So went on boldly down the street

But all at once there came a shout
A smiling Dutchman hurried out,
he seized my hand and held it tight
a crowd came quickly into sight.

Into the house I then must go
The crowd outside began to grow
Till nearly all the street was full
I felt the biggest kind of fool

Then ladies came and made a feast
as best they could - the German beast
had taken care that celebrating
should not consist of too much eating.

My heart was sad to think that I
could add so little to their "try"
But what I had was gladly taken
And added to the meal-in-making.

Then they insisted I must stay
To all the illuminations gay!
Huge bonfires in the street were lit
And children carried lanterns gay
They found a throne where I must sit
Meanwhile the night had turned to day.

But presently there came a cheer
Handclapping almost burst my ear
A Bonfire larger than the last
became the centre of intrest.

And in the radiance of its glow
Dancing was started then and lo
They singed me own again and shed
me to the fire so bright & red.

They formed a circle round about
and danced all round with many a shout
of "God Bless England" "Save the King"
"Tipperary" and everything.

And then came whisky wine & gin
Which had been saved to welcome in
The englishman who first appeared
after the hun's "pitch had been queered".

Strange that it should have been my luck
In fact I was quite thunderstruck
To see the Jerrys still about
But later on it all came out.

It seems that in a nearby town
Canadian troops were holding down
a batch of prisoners and until
they have been cleared Jerry still
must stay where he had stayed so long
and wait his turn - it won't be long.

Of course I had to make a speech
My voice could never hope to reach
the outside of that singing crowd
so they bought a "mike" to make it loud.

The words I said don't matter now
but they were cheered so all was well
No doubt the whisky played a part
thought what I said was from my heart.

The people there was suffered much
but like the other hard pushed Dutch
have borne their sufferings with a will
that surely makes them top the bill.

I know you will not greatly mind
that when I left there stayed behind
the chocolate I had saved for you
you would have loved to see it too.

Well now my story's reached the end
And no more time have I to spend
In writing you a rhyming letter
But I hope your chilblains are now better.

The medicine begin at once
Just one a day, perhaps at lunch
In three days time start taking two
And at the end of seven days start thru
for one week then, back to two
for 3 days and then one a day for a fortnight.

Now I really mustleave my Darling. thank you for your lovely letter. I'm afraid it will be a month or two before I can be with you but it'll be very lovely when the time comes.

Cheerio for now.
God Bless you
Love from
xxxx Daddy xxxx
Love to Jill & Gerald xxxxxx

Tagged:
Europe, Parenthood, VE Day

Contributed by:
Christine Mereweather

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